Open top frozen food refrigerator



Oct. 14, 1952 P. H. BRINKOETER OPEN TOP FROZEN FOOD REFRIGERATOR Filed Aug. 10 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet l yam H BRINK ORTER 5AM- f a BL a i ATTORNEYS P. H. BRINKOETER OPEN TOP FROZEN FOOD REFRIGERATOR Oct. 14, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 10, 1951 mm 0% HTN| F Nv Qw WW 0 0 mm 0 /Q o o QO 0 o 0% mm INVENTOR. PA L H- R NK RIER BY mh,

4 dink 2 gramma 1952 P. H. BRINKOETER OPEN TOP FROZEN FOOD REFRIGERATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 10, 1951 INVENTOR. PA L H R NH ETKR BY EL FIG. 4.

Patented Oct. 14, 1952 OPEN TOP FROZEN FOOD REFRIGERATOR Paul H. Brinkoeter, San Antonio, Tex., assignor to Ed Friedrich,,lnc., SanAntonii), Tex., a corporation of Texas Application August 10, 1951, Serial No. 241,310

. I A 1 -This invention relates to an improvement in open top frozen food refrigerators. I

; The invention consists in providing two banks ofrefrigerating coils in the cold air duct which is located along the entire back wall of the refrigerator or cabinet, and providing drip plates for these coils for conducting any condensate or moisture to the bottom of the air duct.

'A further feature of the invention is in spacing the coil from the front panel of the air duct to prevent any building up of ice or frosting between the front panel and coil, and which space acts as an insulator between the front panel and coil.

Another object of the invention is in the provision ofa plate coil that runs from top to bottom of the refrigerator back wall and from end to end thereof, the purpose being for this plate coil to completely heat the back wall during the defrost period to prevent any possibilit of ice forming on the back wall and bridging across the coldair duct. A plate coil is located at the bottom of the cold air duct and is intended to function with the plate coil and the back wall during the defrost cycle. These plate coils during the refrigerating cycle are refrigerated and as the air is blown over them, they will pick up or collect any moisture in the cold air duct that would otherwise be collected by the fins of the cooling coils and thereby greatly increase the efficiency of the finned cooling coils.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be described hereinafter and set fort in the claims.

' In the accompanying drawings:

1 Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the cabinet;

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view of the cold air duct with cooling coils and plate coils positioned therein;-

Figure 3 is a detailed cross-sectional view on line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view on line |--l v of Figure 1.

5 Claims. (01. 62 89.5)

and duct I9 is had by holes or perforations .14 formed in the. partition l3 adjacent theforward edge thereof, Figures 1 and 4.

An angle iron shaped bar or rail 2i!v extends longitudinally of the cabinet in spaced relation to the back wall l6 and is supported in any suit-Q ablemanner from the back wall. A longitudinal edge of the horizontal partition i3 is supported by the bar or rail 20', and the opposite. edge of thepartition issupported by brackets 2| on the frontwall l5.

' Averticalwall or partition 22 is connected to the bar or rail 23 in a suitable manner-and extends downwardly therefrom. below the horizontal partition L2. This wall22. and rail 20 provide' an inverted channel shaped air duct 24 which extendslengthwise of the cabinet, A wall of the blower box II has a flange 25 extending therefrom toward the partition 22 and is connected thereto. The duct 24 is open on its bottom side: for the discharge of air to the storage chamber l8.

Extending longitudinally of the cabinet from the two sides of the blower box II is a panel or vertical partition 32 which is preferably attached to the partition 22 by hooks 33. This'partition 32 and blower box H form the back wall of the storage chamber 18, and the space between partition 32 and back wall l6 of the cabinet provides a compression compartment and cold air duct 34. The front panel 29' of the uptake air duct 34 is supported by the bar or rail 20, and back wall I 6,

and is' offset at the upper end thereof as at 29a,

to reduce the area of the duct 34 at its-upper end. A curved baffie 3| is provided above the duct 34 for directing the cold air over the food compartment ll. The panel 29 is provided with air outlets or openings 30. ported above the partition [3 by the rail 20 and brackets 28 on the front wall I5 of the cabinet. The front wall [5 of the cabinet is provided with a thermo-pane glass panel 35 which is of less height than the back wall l6. Disposed in rear of the glass panel 35 is a bafile 36 which is supported by the brackets 28, and forms the front of the food compartment H; The bafiie 36 extends parallel to the glass panel 35, and is preferably of less height, so that an outlet air duct 31 is provided between them for conducting the warm air from the food chamber I! to the horizontal air duct [9, which is formed by the partition l3 and shelf 21, and then delivered to the blower-box ll.

Located in the cold air duct 34 is a bank of refrigerated or cooling coils 39, and each pipe A shelf 21 is sup-.

3 of the coil is finned as at 40. The coils 39 are disposed against the inner face of the back wall IS, on which is mounted a plate coil 42, so that the fins 40 engage the plate coil. The cooling coils 39 are preferably disposed just below the outlet openings 30 of front panel 29, and are spaced from the front panel 29, by a flue 4|. Mounted within the air duct 34 and in engagement with the fins 40 at the front of the cooling coils 39 is an aluminum drip plate or panel 43.

A second bank of cooling coils 44 having fins 45 is mounted in the air duct 34 below the coils 39. The coils 44 are disposed adjacent the vertical partition 22 and substantially in a horizonal plane with the partition |3. The partition 22 is provided with openings 23 which are above the coils to allow the cold or refrigerated air from the coils 44 to enter the duct 24, and then to storage chamber l8. The coils 44 are offset from the back wall I6 of the cabinet and the drip plate or panel 43 extends from the upper portion of the coils 39, and preferably below openings 39 of panel 29, downwardly along the coils 39 and inwardly slightly beneath the coils 39, and then down along and beyond the second coils 44. The plate or panel 43 has contact with the fins 45 of coils 44, and plate or panel 43 and partition 22 both function to carry any moisture from the coils to the lower portion of the air duct 34. the plate 43 and partition 22 are bent inwardly toward each other to direct the drip or moisture away from the walls of the duct 34, and onto plate coils 42 and 48 which line the bottom and back wall of the duct 34.

It will be observed that the drip plate or panel 43 and panel 29 are arranged in spaced relation forming a flue 4| therebetween for conducting cold or regrigerated air from the lower coil 44. The flue 4| prevents any building up of ice or frosting between these anels, and at the same time functions as a space insulator between the coil 39 and the panel 29.

A compressor chamber 46 is located at one end of the cabinet and is separated from the storage compartment l8. Mounted in this chamber 46 is a compressor 58, condenser 59, motor 51, and fan 60, which may be of the conventional type. The base of the motor 54 is supported by a pan 53. unit is connected with the cooling coils 39 and Mounted 'two coils 39 and 44 is a defrost thermostat bulb 50.. In refrigerated cabinets it is essential that they be defrosted and with this system it is preferred to employ the known reverse cycle for defrosting wherein the refrigerant from the com- 'pressor is by-passed to the plate coils 42 and 48 and the coils 39 and 44. The plate coils 42 are located against the back wall I6 and the rear wall of the cold air duct 34. As these coils extend the full length of the back wall and from top to bottom thereof the back wall is completely heated during the defrost period and prevents any possibility of ice forming on the wall and bridging across the air duct 34. The aluminum panel 43 which extends from the top coil 39 to the lower coil 44 assures complete defrosting of this panel during the defrost cycle. By having this panel connecting both coils suflicient heat will be applied to the panel to raise the temperature above the freezing point during the defrost period and its complete de- The lower edges 41 of The motor, compressor, condenser 4 frost is further assured by placing the defrost thermostat bulb on this panel. The thermostat bulb measures the temperature of the plate or panel 43 and when this temperature reaches 33" the defrost thermostat will return the system to normal cycle.

A primary purpose in the separation of the upper coil 39 from the vertical or front panel 29 of the food compartment is to form an in sulating space to permit the faster or more complete defrost during the defrost cycle. If the coil 39 was permitted to remain snug against the panel 29 of the food compartment, the frozen merchandise would tend to keep the coil 39 in a frosted condition much longer and would require excessive heat to complete the defrost thereof.

During the normal cycle the fan I2 will draw the air from the food compartment H by means of the air duct 3'! between the bafiie 36 and plass panel 35 into the horizontal air duct l9. The air is discharged by the fan of the blower box into the longitudinal cold air duct 34 located along the back wall l6 of the cabinet. The air will now be cooled by the lower coils 44 and some of the cold air will be directed through openings 23 in the partition 22 and thence into the air duct 24 from which it will enter the storage compartment IS. The warm air from the storage compartment [8 is evacuated through the openings I4 in the horizontal partition I3 and into the air duct IS. The air forced into the air duct 34 after passing the lower coil 44 will continue upward in the duct 34 and in the passage or flue 4| formed between the aluminum plate or panel 43 and the panel 29 of the food compartment where it can be discharged into the food compartment I! through opening 30 or through the top of the duct 34 and directed into the food compartment by the baffle 3|. The majority of the air entering the air duct 34 will be directed to the larger and upper coils 39 located between the back Wall l6 and the aluminum panel or plate 43 and this air will be discharged through the openings 30 and over the top of the duct 34 and directed therefrom by baflie 3| into the food compartment IT. The plate coils 42 and 48 are also receiving refrigerant and as the air is blown over these plate coils they will pick up moisture that would otherwise be collected by the fins 43 and 45 of the coils 39 and 44 and will thereby greatly increase the eiiiciency of the fin coils. It is to be noted that the panel 43 and the partition 22 have their lower ends merging inwardly beneath the lower coil 44 and any moisture will be caused to drip therefrom and into the lower part of the air duct so that as the air is delivered to the duct 34 by the fan 2 this moisture will be directed against the plate coils 42 and 48, by the forced draft of air from fan |2.

What I claim is: I

1. In an open-top refrigerated display case, an upper food compartment and a lower storage compartment, a common suction duct located between said compartments, a pressure duct communicating with both compartments at the rear thereof, cooling coil units in said pressure duct, one for each compartment, a blower device in said storage compartment and communicating with said common suction and pressure ducts for forcing air into said pressure duct and withdrawing air from said common suction duct, said common suction duct communicating with both compartv 2. In an open-top refrigerated display case, an

upper food compartment and a lower storage compartment, acommon suction duct located between said compartments, a pressure duct communicating with both compartments at the rear thereof, cooling coil units in and arranged on opposite sides of said pressure duct, one for each compartment, a blower device in said storage compartment and communicating with said common suction and pressure ducts for forcing air into said pressure duct and withdrawing air from said common suction duct, said common suction duct communicating with both compartments, and a panel extending lengthwise of said coils and having engagement therewith, said panel being spaced from the front and back walls of said pressure duct and providing a flue between one of said coils and said food compartment to insulate said last named coil from said food compartment.

3. In an open top food refrigerator including front and back walls and upper food compartment and a lower storage compartment, a suction duct located between said compartments and having communication with both compartments, a pressure duct arranged along said back wall of the refrigerator having communication with both compartments, a plate refrigerating coil on the back wall of said pressure duct, upper and lower cooling coils in said pressure duct, said upper coil mounted on said back wall of said pressure duct and said plate coil and spaced from the front wall of said pressure duct and having communication with said food compartment, said lower coil positioned adjacent the front wall of said pressure duct and having communication With said storage compartment and spaced from said back wall of said pressure duct, a panel extending lengthwise of said cooling coils and having engagement with said upper and lower coils for conducting moisture therefrom, said panel being spaced from the front and back walls of said pressure duct, and a blower for delivering air under pressure to said pressure duct and cooling coils and directing any moisture from said panel onto said plate coil.

4. An open top food refrigerator, comprising a food and a storage compartment, a suction duct having communication with said compartments, a pressure duct having communication with both of said compartments, a cooling coil having communication with said storage compartment located in said pressure duct and spaced from the rear wall of said pressure duct, a cooling coil having communication with said food compartment located in said pressure duct and spaced from the rear wall of said food compartment, a panel disposed in said pressure duct between the front and rear walls thereof having engagement with said coils for insulatin one of said coils from the front wall of said pressure duct, and a blower having communication with said suction and pressure ducts for delivering air under pressure to said pressure duct.

5. An open top food refrigerator, comprising a food and a storage compartment, a suction duct having communication with said compartments, a pressure duct having communication with both of said compartments, a cooling coil having communication with said storage compartment located in said pressure duct and spaced from the rear wall of said pressure duct, a cooling coil having communication with said food compartment located in said pressure duct and spaced from the rear wall of said food compartment, a panel disposed in said pressure duct between the front and rear walls thereof having engagement with said coils for insulating one of said coils from the front wall of said pressure duct, and conducting moisture from said coils to said pressure duct, plate coils on the rear and bottom walls of said pressure duct, and a blower having communication with said suction and pressure ducts for delivering air under pressure to said pressure duct and any moisture in said pressure duct onto said plate coils.

PAUL H. BRINKOE-TER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,421,896 MacMaster June 10, 1947 7 2,425,473 Hoffman Aug. 12, 1947 2,463,614 Hardin Mar. 8, 1949 2,466,286 Stultz Apr. 5, 1949 

